Is the 11 Miles Ritual Real? Everything You Need to Know

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Urban legends expert Sydney Bermudez explains the paranormal driving challenge

Co-authored by Hunter Rising

Last Updated: December 11, 2025 Fact Checked

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• What is the 11 Miles Ritual?
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• Rules & Warnings
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• Mile Instructions
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• Is it real?
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• Should you do it?
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• More Scary Rituals
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• Video

|Show more |Show less

Would you risk driving down a haunted road at night to get something you’ve always wanted? The 11 Miles Ritual is one of the freakiest online urban legends, and even if you don’t do it yourself, it’s still a fun scary story to share with your friends. Keep reading, and we’ll break down the rules for starting the ritual, instructions for each mile, and if it’s worth trying, with insights from urban legends expert Sydney Bermudez.

11 Miles Ritual Overview

According to urban legends expert Sydney Bermudez, the 11 Miles Ritual will allegedly grant your deepest desires if you can drive 11 miles down a mysterious, haunted road. Different encounters happen each mile, like hearing disembodied voices and your car losing power.

Steps

Section 1 of 6:

What is the 11 Miles Ritual?

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1. 
   The 11 Miles Ritual is a scary game that grants a wish if you complete it. Bermudez explains that “[The 11 Miles Ritual] is an internet ritual/urban legend where a person drives down a supposedly cursed 11-mile road to get a wish granted, but each mile becomes more dangerous and surreal with specific rules they have to follow to survive.” In the game, you think about something that you want the most, and drive in the middle of the night until the mysterious and mystical 11 Mile Road magically appears. To complete the ritual, drive the entire road and endure increasingly frightening experiences while following specific instructions to make your wish come true.

   • What happens if you don't follow all of the instructions? Nobody really knows—but the answer probably isn't one you want to hear.

   Meet the wikiHow Expert

   Sydney Bermudez is an urban legends expert and horror content creator that explores paranormal cases, internet mysteries, and psychological horror. She shares content on TikTok and Instagram to over 400k followers.
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Section 2 of 6:

11 Miles Ritual Rules & Warnings

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1. 
   1
   Drive alone at night with your phone and radio turned off. Wait until the dark of night, or else the ritual won’t work properly. Any vehicle will do for the ritual, but it’s best if you use a smaller car rather than a truck or van. When you start your vehicle, turn off your radio immediately. The road won’t appear on a GPS, so shut your phone off as well.

   • Make sure you have a full tank of gas so you don’t get stranded during the ritual.
   • Never turn on your phone or radio during the ritual, even if you hear voices that tell you otherwise.
2. 
   2
   Think of what you desire the most. Take a moment to think about something you’ve always wanted. It could be a physical object or an idea, such as good grades, a promotion at work, fame, or anything else of the sort. Hold the thought in the front of your mind through the entire drive so you receive it once you complete the ritual.
3. 
   3
   Drive down backroads until you find a road in the woods. Drive out to an unpopulated area with long country roads. The road for the 11 Mile Ritual appears on the right side, but it won’t be marked with a street sign. You’ll know if it’s the right road if it’s surrounded by trees and you feel the energy shift around you. Once you find it, turn down the road to start the ritual.

   • Some versions of the ritual claim a single lamp post will appear near the road.
   • Other stories say that the signs you receive depend on your wish. For example, if you desire wealth, you may notice soft glimmers in the tree branches like shining coins.
4. 
   4
   Stay in your vehicle with the windows rolled up during the entire ritual. Make sure to keep your windows sealed and your doors locked the whole time. Keep your eyes on the road and avoid looking out your windows. Maintain a speed of 30 miles per hour (48 km/h) or less for the entire drive so you stay safe.

   • Even if you’re scared and don’t want to finish, don’t stop your car or turn back because it will make the ritual ineffective and could let in whatever’s outside.
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Section 3 of 6:

11 Miles Ritual Walk-Through

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1. 
   1
   Mile 1 During the first mile, it might start feeling cold inside your vehicle. If you’re shivering or feeling cold, turn on the heat to warm yourself up.
2. 
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   Mile 2 When you hit the second mile, the temperatures will drop even more than before. If you didn’t turn on your heat right during the first mile, definitely turn it on now so it doesn’t get any colder.
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   Mile 3 Silhouettes and shadows will start appearing in the treeline. Do your best to avoid looking at them, and just keep your eyes on the road. If you glance over, redirect your vision as soon as possible.
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   Mile 4 When you hit the fourth mile, you’ll start hearing whispers in your ear. Stay focused on the road and ignore what the voices are saying, even if they sound human.
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   Mile 5 The trees and the environment around you will appear to vanish. Don’t worry or lose your focus. Watch the road and ignore everything else happening around you.
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   Mile 6 When you reach mile 6, you’re already halfway through the ritual. You’ll start driving back into the woods, but the stars will disappear from the sky. Even your headlights might flicker a little. Your radio will also immediately turn on, and a calm voice will say your biggest fears out loud. Let the voice play, but ignore everything it’s saying.

   • If you left your radio on for the whole drive, it will make a loud screech and cause you to veer off the road.
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   Mile 7 The whispers will come back, and they may sound like they’re coming from the backseat this time. Keep your eyes on the road in front of you, and ignore anything the voices are saying.
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   Mile 8 Slow down slightly when you hit the eighth mile, but never stop completely. If your headlights flicker, slow down even more because you’re going too fast. If you see or hear anything out of the ordinary, ignore it and keep driving.
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   Mile 9 Your vehicle will stall, but only for a moment. When it happens, close your eyes and try to restart your vehicle. If you hear anything telling you to open your eyes, ignore it and keep your eyes closed. When your car starts again, speed up and drive the rest of the mile as fast as you can.

   • The ritual says to keep your eyes closed until you finish the ninth mile, and your intuition will let you know when you’re finished and can open your eyes. However, never drive with your eyes closed because you could cause an accident.
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    Mile 10 When you hit the tenth mile, the voices will stop completely. Avoid looking in your rearview mirror, because you may see something following behind you.
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    Mile 11 During the last mile of the ritual, your vehicle might lose power again but it will continue to move. When you see a red light appear in front of you, close your eyes. The voices will reappear, but they’ll be even louder than before. You may even feel things touching you or feel extremely warm. When your vehicle’s power returns, then stop your vehicle and open your eyes. Take a second to catch your breath and continue driving.
12. 
    12
    Dead End When you reach a dead end, stop your vehicle. You’ll be back where you first turned onto the road, but you won’t remember how you got there. Close your eyes and picture the thing you want most again so you can find it in real life.

    • If you wished for a physical object, it may have appeared in your back seat or your trunk.
    • If you wished for something intangible, go home and wait. Your wish will come true within a few days.
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Section 4 of 6:

Is the 11 Miles Ritual real?

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1. 
   No, the 11 Miles Ritual is just a scary story and Internet urban legend. Even though some YouTubers and people claim they’ve completed the 11 Miles Ritual, it doesn’t actually exist. The ritual actually started as a “creepypasta” story posted in 2013 to scare other people, but the premise is entirely fictional.

   • Bermudez says, “It’s great for storytelling because it’s very step-by-step and suspenseful, and it blends horror with that ‘creepypasta/ritual game’ vibe.”
   • The 11 Miles Ritual may be based on other scary urban legends about haunted roads, such as Clinton Road and “Dead Man’s Curve” in West Milford, New Jersey.

Section 5 of 6:

Should you do the 11 Miles Ritual?

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1. Parts of the 11 Miles Ritual are unsafe, so it’s best to avoid it. Even if you’re tempted to actually try the 11 Miles Ritual yourself, many parts of it tell you to close your eyes while driving. Driving with your eyes closed is a real hazard to yourself and other people, so it’s better if this ritual just stays an online story.
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Section 6 of 6:

More Scary Ritual Games

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1. Try these frightening rituals when you want a good scare. Whenever you’re looking for scary games with friends, there are a lot of other rituals and challenges you can do at home. Whether you want to predict the future, conjure spirits, or try to communicate with the dead, these games will definitely send a shiver down your spine.

   • The Picture Game
   • Baby Blue
   • The Elevator Game
   • Red Door Yellow Door
   • Dry Bones
   • Bloody Mary
   • Sara Sarita
   • Cat Scratch

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